Problem A and Problem B

“Oh my baby boy!” Roden’s mother exclaims. Roden slowly opens his eyes “You just disappeared yesterday without a word! I was so worried!” The young man jolts up from his bed in surprise at his surroundings. Just the simple old bedroom of his youth instead of the farm and the open sky. “Then I saw Alexia come back into town dragging you and that strange creature together.” She hugs her son tightly “I cannot believe she would do such a thing to you.” She releases her baby boy before adding “She grew up to be such a trouble maker.”

A moment of silence falls between the family as Roden still tries to wake up.

“Mother…” Roden finally manages to sigh.

-- -- --

Roden and his mother walk into the moderately spacious living area of their abode. There is a well kempt middle aged man cutting something on a small counter.

“Well well well-” The middle aged man turns around with a smile as he spots his family. He walks over to a table with a plate of bread sliced into multiple pieces as he jokes “Our little boy got bored being back already and went on a little adventure? Gahahaha!” before sitting down at the table.

“Good to see you too father.” The young man and his mother sit down and the trio begin to eat. “So father what have you been up to?” Roden asks before an awkward silence can fill the room. His mother gives the young mage a side-eye so intense it could frighten a bear.

“Well my boy!” His father excitedly exclaims. The older man beams with a smile almost as bright as the sun “I, and a few others, get together and discuss the nature of this world, the beyond, and how to bring ideas to fruition.”

“The beyond?”

“Please dear, not while we eat.” His mother injects before his father can reply.

With that awkward cut off, the family finishes there meal in silence.

“I am off to see Alexia.” Roden announces as he stands up after finishing while his mother frowns in disappointment.

“Oh!” His father exclaims stopping Roden in his tracks. The older man says “Do let Alexia know that the invitation is still open to join.”

-- -- --

Roden steps into the large warehouse Alexia uses as a workshop. He spots her focused intently at a work bench, seemingly not having noticed him yet. Without a word he walks over to her.

“Not sure how to preserve this thing or even really how to get it to Telina.” Alexia sighs slumping against the work table “I cannot exactly be in my armor the entire time. Maybe I could get Roden to cast something on it?”

“Hello Alexia.” Roden interjects breaking the inventor’s path of thoughts. The woman yelps in surprise “What exactly has you in a dilemma?”

“I am planning to head to Telina but-” Alexia says turning around to face the corpse of the former bounty and sticks a thumb at “I want to bring that damn massive hunk of meat with me.”

The pair look at the batrachotomus in silence.

“Oh yes!” Roden hits his fist into the other open palm “My father did say you were free to join, whatever it is he is a part of.” The woman looks as if that statement made her physically ill. “What is wrong?”

“I have been to a few meetings of theirs.” Alexia gets up from the work table and walks over to the corpse “They mostly just talk and talk. And talk some more." She sighs "Not enough actual action for me.”

“Maybe one of them might have something to help though?” The man retorts “It is worth a try at least, right?”

Alexia looks at Roden for a moment before letting out a laugh.

“Oh.” The inventor stops laughing “You are serious…” She stands up to her feet “If you want to find something actually helpful.” She points at the corpse as she finishes “You could try to cast a spell on this thing.”

“That is more of a priest thing, not a magician thing.” Roden replies “Maybe one of them might have something to help.”

Alexia stares at Roden’s face annoyed with her old friend. A silence thick as fog fills the warehouse.

“Fiiiiiiiiiine.” Alexia breaks the silence with a sigh and walks past Roden “We will try it.”

-- -- --

Roden and Alexia stop in front of a rather well maintained yet seemingly empty building. Alexia sighs as she knocks on the door.

“If grass is greener on the other side. We must create to make ours even greener.” The inventor says with a tone of barely contained annoyance.

The door slowly opens to reveal a bear of a man filling the entire doorway.

“Alexia!” He bellows in joy. The massive man puts the small woman into a bear hug “It’s great to see you again!”

“Hurts…” Alexia grunts in pain as the man continues to twist from side to side swinging her along in his death grip.

“Could you please put her down?”

“Oh right!” The mountain of a man loosens his grip and puts Alexia back down on her feet “I just got so excited to see you back here.” He steps back inside before turning back “Please come inside.”

The two young adults walk past the man as he closes the door behind them.

“Ah yes.” The man says before either of the pair can comment. He gives a slight bow as he introduces himself “I am Peter. The ‘guard’ of this establishment. I also dabble in various fields of engineering and invention.”

“Roden.” The young mage introduces himself with a slight bow as well “I am a recent graduate of the Ruten and youngest son of Orphus.”

“Orphus's boy!?” Welcome! Welcome!” Peter puts his hands onto Roden’s shoulders. The weight of his hands nearly causes Roden to crouch to stay upright. “So what brings you in today?” Removing his hands from Roden’s shoulders.

“I have a problem.” Alexia points at Roden with a thumb “And since he apparently cannot use any useful magic he suggested we check if someone here can help.”

“What do you mean by that? I have plenty of ‘useful magic’! I’m not a priest, so why would I know an embalming spell?”

“You need something embalmed?” The large man interjects into the pair’s argument before it can truly escalate. He puts up his hands in a defensive position “We do not condone murdering of others.”

“It is not a person.” She clears her throat before she explains “It is some kind of large crocodile thing we have never seen before. I want to go to Telina and bring it along and embalming the corpse of the creature would solve one of the problems.”

“What is the other problem?” Intrigue is written all over Peter's face as he asks.

“Transporting it. It is very heavy. Probably heavier than a full grown bull.”

“Fascinating!” He walks over to a small table near by “I would like to see this creature for myself, if that is alright?”

“Any of you old guys know anything about embalming?” Alexia crosses her arms.

“I am sure someone here does. The others do not talk to me as much anymore since they made me the door man.” Peter replies as he pulls out a piece of papyrus from the table “I will walk you two in to see the others that are here currently.” He walks past the two young adults towards a flight of stairs before he stops “And please do not call us ‘old guys’ ever again.” He turns back around “You are asking for our help after all. Best to be polite.”